Some of the Occasions
by lilkawa
Summary: In which Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth end up dancing whenever they meet...
1. At the Meryton Assembly

_Pride and Prejudice_ doesn't belong to me.

Thanks Miriam1 for all your help.

Enjoy.

**Some of the Occasions**

Fitzwilliam Darcy entered the ballroom behind his friend, Charles Bingley, and the rest of their party and looked around in dismay. He hated public gatherings, especially those that involved dancing. But Bingley wouldn't hear of his refusal to attend the ball, and when Caroline Bingley had also said that she would stay at Netherfield with him if he insisted on passing up on the ball, Darcy had quickly changed his mind. It would be better to go and be miserable in public than spend the evening alone with Caroline Bingley.

Darcy looked at his friend; Bingley seemed so at home and what was incomprehensible to Darcy was that he also was happy, shaking hands with whomever chanced by and talking and smiling at them all. Darcy could never understand how his friend managed to be so charitable all the time.

"Let me introduce you to Mrs. Bennet and her daughters." Sir William Lucas, who had decided to be their host, took them to meet yet another family.

"Mrs. Bennet," Sir William said, "allow me to introduce you to Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy." That lady curtseyed while the men bowed in greeting. She smiled at them and said, "Allow me to introduce my daughters, Jane, Elizabeth," she pointed them out, they were standing next to her, "Mary who's sitting over there, and Kitty and Lydia are dancing."

Bingley smiled at the woman, as he was really interested in meeting her daughters. Darcy hadn't looked past the two eldest but he could honestly see nothing remarkable about them. So much for village gossip which had it that they were some of the finest looking women in Hertford.

"Do you like to dance?" Mrs. Bennet asked Bingley.

"There's nothing I like better than a country ball," Bingley replied. Darcy agreed with his friend's words. Bingley did like to dance. "And if your eldest daughter is not otherwise engaged, I would like to dance the next with her."

Jane Bennet agreed to dance with Bingley and when she smiled, Darcy thought that maybe he had been too hasty in his estimation of the Misses Bennet, as Jane Bennet was quite beautiful.

"And you, Mr. Darcy, do you like to dance?" Mrs. Bennet asked him, clearly intent on seeing all her daughters dancing.

"No, I only dance on rare occasions," he told her.

"Then let this be one of the occasions," Mrs. Bennet told him. "For I wager you'll not find livelier company or more attractive companions."

Darcy wanted to refuse, in fact he was about to walk away without another word, when he caught Elizabeth Bennet's eye. She was smiling and there was a twinkle in her eyes; she was looking at him like she knew that he wanted to run.

"I would be delighted to dance the next with you Miss Bennet," Darcy addressed Elizabeth. She accepted and they made their way to the dance floor.

As they stood at the sides waiting for the next song, Darcy turned and said to Elizabeth, "I wonder Miss Bennet, if you would mind very much if we sat the next song out as well."

"Are you saying that you don't want to dance with me?" Elizabeth asked him.

"As I informed your mother," Darcy replied, "I rarely dance, and it's not because I greatly dislike the activity, which indeed I do."

"I see," Elizabeth interrupted him, "you don't know how to dance."

"I assure you that I do." Darcy was offended.

"Then you don't want to be seen dancing with me," Elizabeth teased him, she couldn't help the smile that was fighting to get out.

"I assure you, my dearest Miss Bennet," Darcy replied, "it is you I am trying to spare the embarrassment."

"Embarrassment, my kind sir?"

"Embarrassment," Darcy agreed. "I believe when dancing, ladies are generally considered the better partners and I wouldn't want your fellow countrymen to say that you can't dance."

"Everyone here knows how well I dance," Elizabeth assured him. "It is your skills that are in doubt."

"Then let us put them to the test, shall we?" He offered her his arm and they took their places.

As they danced, Darcy thought to himself that he couldn't remember having such a lively conversation with a woman, and that he had really been wrong about the charms of the Bennet girls; the rumours hadn't been wrong, the girls, especially the two eldest were very beautiful, and Miss Elizabeth was one he wouldn't mind spending an evening with.

000

"There, it wasn't so bad now, was it?" Bingley asked him.

"No," Darcy agreed. It had been very good but he wouldn't tell his friend that.

Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst signaled them over to join them at the other side of the room. Darcy would have preferred to stay where he was, but he really couldn't refuse.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day Mr. Darcy stood up with a young woman at a country ball," Caroline said as soon as they joined them.

"I guess you have no choice but to believe it then," Darcy replied.

"So what is your opinion of the Misses Bennet now?" Caroline continued. She was furious and trying unsuccessfully to hide it. "Are the rumours to be believed?"

"The eldest Miss Bennet is very beautiful," Bingley said.

"And Miss Elizabeth?" Caroline insisted. "What of her?"

Darcy knew that he shouldn't let her rile him, that he would say things that he would regret. "She's tolerable, I suppose," he heard himself say. He really should have kept his mouth shut.

"But you're too good to tempted by the likes of her, aren't you?" Caroline said.

Darcy didn't know what made him look up, but he did and saw Elizabeth and Mrs. Bennet standing nearby; from their expressions – Mrs. Bennet was looking at him in shock – he knew that they had heard the whole exchange.

000

Elizabeth couldn't believe that Mr. Darcy had called her 'tolerable'. How dare he call her tolerable? She had thought him a bit proud and off-standish when she'd first seen him; their conversation and dance had sort of changed her mind – she had been surprised to find that she'd enjoyed herself – and now she knew that she'd been right. He was just rude and arrogant.

"What a proud, arrogant man," Mrs. Bennet said.

"Maybe he's not so handsome after all," Elizabeth said.

"No indeed," Mrs. Bennet agreed. "And next time Elizabeth, I shouldn't dance with him if he asked you."

"Have no fear, ma'am," Elizabeth replied. "I shall never dance with him again."

000

What do you think?


	2. At Lucas Lodge

Thanks for reading and reviewing.

Thanks Miriam1 for all your help.

000

Mr. Darcy couldn't help himself and he had tried. Very hard. At first, he had been staring at Miss Elizabeth Bennet to find fault with her, and he had found fault; he could always find faults and hers were easy to see, for one she was too…forward, gave her opinion even when unasked. But now that he had begun to look critically at her, Darcy found that he also saw other things, things that he was having a hard times ignoring.

She wasn't beautiful, certainly not as pretty as her elder sister, but there was something about her. And as for her eyes, there were something to behold.

Darcy was finding it harder and harder to stop staring at her, and then without knowing why, it couldn't possibly be because he was interested in her. He wanted to know more about her. He wanted to talk to her, but he knew this to be impossible, because he had insulted her; she wouldn't wish to talk to him.

Well, if he couldn't talk to her directly, he would listen to her conversation with hers. It wasn't as if he actually wanted to talk to her, he just wanted to get to know more about her.

000

Elizabeth had been aware of Mr. Darcy's gaze. The man seemed to get a great deal of pleasure from looking at her. 'If I were vain, I would think that he found me attractive,' Elizabeth thought to herself, 'but I know him better than that. He's probably finding fault with the way I look.'

She was conversing with Charlotte when she noticed that Mr. Darcy was standing very close to them. What did the man want, was he looking to criticize their conversation? Maybe he had heard them speak of his friend and Jane? She had already noticed him listening in on her conversation with Colonel Forster, when she had asked Charlotte what she thought of his listening in on her conversations; Charlotte had suggested that Elizabeth ask him. Elizabeth had rejected that idea at once, as she had no wish to engage Mr. Darcy in conversation, but now she changed her mind. She would talk to him.

000

Darcy didn't know how to feel when Charlotte Lucas interrupted his conversation with Elizabeth and made her play for the party instead. One on hand, he was disappointed: he had finally gotten another to chance to talk to her, and she'd left before he had had a chance to say much. On the other hand he had gotten an opportunity to hear her play and sing, and that had been very pleasing. Very pleasing indeed.

Her playing and singing was by no means the best, but somehow, Darcy couldn't remember when he'd had as much pleasure hearing anyone sing and play. He was almost sorry when she left the instrument and sorrier still when one of her younger sisters, Mary took it up.

A few minutes later, Darcy was even sorrier that Elizabeth had stopped playing when some of the younger people in the party cleared a part of the room and they began to dance. What was it about those people? Could they not comprehend an evening that didn't involve the activity at all? Did they not appreciate good conversation?

He stared darkly at the group of people dancing and was dismayed to see Bingley and Jane Bennet join their number. Bingley certainly was a fool for dancing, and he was spending too much time with Jane Bennet.

"This is a very charming amusement for young people, isn't it, Mr. Darcy?" Sir William Lucas's voice interrupted him.

Darcy didn't reply, he hoped that their host who just move on and leave him to his thoughts but Sir William continued, "There's nothing like dancing, is there? I consider it one of first refinements of polished societies."

"Certainly, sir," Darcy replied inspite of himself. "It is an activity that happens to be fashionable in even the less polished societies of the world. Every savage can dance."

If Darcy had hoped that his words would annoy his host he was in for disappointment as Sir William only smiled and said, "Your friend dances very well," gesturing at Bingley, "as I'm sure you do, too."

"I'm sure you saw me dance at Meryton," Darcy reminded him.

"Yes, yes I did," Sir William agreed, "and you do so very well. You must be very fond of dancing."

"No."

Sir William shook his head. "I myself am rather fond of the activity and if I could but do it half as well as you, I would always be taking to the floor, but as it is, I leave it to the younger people."

Darcy didn't make any reply to that, and he hoped that their host would leave him be. Sir William was at the point of leaving Mr. Darcy alone, when Elizabeth passed by, and recalling that he seen them dance at Meryton decided to call out to her.

"My dear Eliza, why are you not dancing?"

Elizabeth forced a smile at Sir William and Mr. Darcy and wished that she hadn't chosen that moment to walk across the room. Sir William didn't give her a chance to reply, but said instead to Darcy, "I'm sure you can't refuse to dance when such beauty is before you."

Darcy turned to Elizabeth in surprise; he hadn't thought that he would be dancing that evening, but if Elizabeth was willing, then he was more than willing to dance with her.

"Sir," Elizabeth told Sir William, "I have no intention of dancing. Please don't think that I came by this way in search of a partner."

"Would you do me the honour of dancing with me?" Darcy asked her.

Elizabeth forced a smile. "No sir, like I said, I'm not dancing tonight."

"Why not?" Sir William seemed shocked. "You excel at dancing, Miss Eliza, and I very much like to watch you dance and Mr. Darcy here is willing to dance even if he dislikes the activity so much."

"Mr. Darcy is all politeness."

"Indeed he is," Sir William agreed. "But why wouldn't he be, considering the inducement?" He would have insisted further, but luckily for Elizabeth, Lady Lucas called him away.

Elizabeth and Darcy stood and looked at each other in silence; Elizabeth was about to turn away, whether it was polite or not, when Mr. Darcy spoke.

"You're not afraid of dancing with me again, are you?"

"Afraid? Of dancing with you? Why would I be afraid of dancing with you?"

"I don't know," Mr. Darcy replied.

000

Elizabeth joined Mary on one of the seats near the back of the room, avoiding Charlotte's eyes although she knew her friend was beckoning to her. She would not move from that position until it was time to go home.

How could she have let it happen? How, after promising herself so faithfully, could she have let Mr. Darcy goad her into joining him on the dance floor? He had accused her of being afraid, and like a fool, she had danced with him to show him that she wasn't afraid. And what was worse, she had enjoyed dancing and conversing with him. She had to take care, otherwise she would find herself liking him, and that wouldn't do. It wouldn't do at all.

000

Darcy stood at the back of the room with a slight smile on his face.

"I think I can guess what you are thinking." It was the second time that evening that someone had approached without his knowledge. He needed to stop spending a lot of time in his head and be more aware of his surroundings.

"I highly doubt that," he told Caroline Bingley.

"You're thinking that this is a waste of a good evening," Caroline said. "And I agree with you; look at them, the dullness and the noise, and all these people feeling important."

Darcy knew that he probably shouldn't say anything in reply, that he should let Caroline continue with her misconceptions but he couldn't help himself. "You're mistaken," he told her, "my mind was more agreeably engaged. I was meditating on the very great pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow."

Miss Bingley looked at him in shock and demanded. "Who, may I ask, is the young lady of whom you are thinking?"

"Miss Elizabeth Bennet."

"Miss Elizabeth Bennet!" Miss Bingley exclaimed. She wanted to say that she was astonished, but she really wasn't. She had seen him dance with her, first at Meryton and then here. Maybe Elizabeth Bennet was really becoming a favourite of Darcy's. Forcing a laugh, and knowing that it would annoy him, she asked, "When am I to wish you joy?"

"That is exactly the question what I expected you to ask," Darcy replied. "A lady's imagination is very quick; you from jump from admiration to love, from love to matrimony, in a moment. I knew you would be wishing me joy."

Caroline knew that she should resist, that she should keep her mouth shut but she couldn't stop herself. "If you are serious, then the matter is settled. I wonder will your mother-in-law live with you at Pemberley?"

Darcy didn't reply, indeed he was very grateful that he had the presence of mind not to say another word to Caroline until they left Lucas Lodge; however, he was mindful of the truth in some of her utterances. However much he admired Elizabeth Bennet's fine eyes, it would not do to imagine that they could ever have any sort of future; she was not suitable at all, nor for that matter was Jane Bennet. He made a mental note to speak to Bingley about her.

000


End file.
